Anchor hoist



June 1, 1965 M. o. WHITNEY 3,186,373

ANCHOR HOIST 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 INVENTOR Mark 0. Whitney FM iwMTzw-M.

ATTOR EYS June 1, 1965 M. o. WHITNEY ANCHOR HOIST 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 I 2 IIIIIMWMW I!!! I! Ill/ll Ill!!! m Nu mm mm 8 3 om I Lim R O T N E V m Mark O.Whifney y l W ATTORNEYS June 1, 1965 M. o. WHITNEY ANCHOR HOIS'I 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 INVENTOR Mark O.Whimey ATTORNEYS June 1, 1965 M- o. WHITNEY ANCHOR HOIS'I 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 ii A Mi INVENTOR Murk O. Whitney fm MMp A F an ATTOR N EYS June 1, 1965 M- o. WHITNEY ANCHOR HOIST 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 6, 1963 fmw BY pm; M

June 1, 1965 M. o. WHITNEY 3,186,373

ANCHOR HOIST Filed Aug. 6, 1963 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 on I 1 United States Patent 3,186,373 ANCHOR HOIST Mark 0. Whitney, 224 Main St., Matawan, NJ. Filed Aug. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 300,260 Claims. (Cl. 114-210) This invention relates to anchor hoists.

The invention provides an anchor hoist by means of which the anchor of a boat or other vessel may be cast by pulling on the line or cable to which the anchor is fastened, thereafter paying it out, and by means of which the anchor may be raised from the bottom and stowed merely by hauling in the line.

By means of the hoist of the invention the anchor is automatically stowed in a safe and secure manner, and it is passed over the side both in casting and raising without damage to the side of the vessel. The hoist of the invention is therefore well adapted for small craft operated by a single person, although it is not limited thereto. If a winch is provided for taking in and paying out the anchor line or cable, the hoist of the invention permits raising and loweringof the anchor by the boat operator and without his coming into the bows of the boat or otherwise leaving his position.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, substantially in side elevation, of an anchor hoist according to the invention as mounted on a vessel;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but at an enlarged scale, showing in dotted lines the position of the anchor boom at one phase of the process by which the anchor is hoisted;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the anchor hoist apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken in the same position as FIG. 5 but showing the parts in a different relation from that which they occupy in FIG. 5, at a difierent phase of the operation of the anchor hoist;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line'S-S of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 3 with the anchor hoist boom in partly raised position;

FIG. 10 is a view in side elevation similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing the parts in still another relative position, namely that in which the anchor is stowed and also continuing in dotted lines a showing of the position of the anchor boom and related elements at a late phase in the process of anchor stowage;

FIG. 11 is a sectional .view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 3 but showing the parts in the relative position of a phase immediately following that illustrated by the dotted line position of the anchor boom in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 11 but showing the parts of the anchor hoist with the anchor completely stowed.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an anchor 2 for a vessel 4, the anchor hanging by a cable 8-out over the bows of the vessel from a boom 6 forming part of the anchor hoist of the invention. The anchor in FIG. 1 is, as indicated by thearrows lengthwise of the anchor line or cable 8, being-raised and a clevis 12 connected by means of a pin 13 (FIG; 4) to the upper end of the shank 3 of the anchor 2 is about to enter between 3,186,373 Patented June 1, 1965 the faces or cheekslS (FIG. 4) of a block 10 fixed .at the outboard end of the boom 6.

The cable 8 is suitably fastened to the clevis 12 to extend therefrom in a single straight direction, and the clevis possesses a dimension parallel to the plane of the anchor fiukes 5 which fits neatly between the cheeks 18 of block 10, whereas the dimension of the clevis in planes perpendicular to that of the fiukes is too large to enter between the cheeks 18. The upper end of the clevis is tapered, as indicated in FIG. 4, so that the anchor, on being hoisted, rotates about the long dimension of its shank as necessary to align itself, as the clevis comes into contact with the block, with the plane of the flukes athwartships, as shown in FIG. 1. outer and lower edges of the cheeks 18 are rounded or flared, as indicated at 19 in FIG. 4, to cooperate with the upper tapered end of clevis 12 in the alignment process, and to prevent damage to the hoist.

The cable passes from the clevis over a sheave 11 in block 10 (see FIG. 5), over a sheave 14 at the upper end of a mast advantageously formed as a pair of wishbone arms 16 and under a further sheave 18' afiixed to the deck on its way to a winch or other hoisting means (not shown) which may be manual or motor driven. Taking in of the cable automatically brings the anchor, by a process presently to be described, to the fully stowed position shown in FIG. 12, in which the boom 6 and the anchor are both inboard of the bows of the vessel.

These elements of structure are seen again in FIG. 2. As will be presently described in further detail the anchor is cast from the position of FIG. 12 by first hauling on the cable 8. and then paying it out, which process brings the boom into the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 locks it there. The cable is then paid out as desired to lower the anchor to the bottom, from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Conversely in the hoisting process, after the anchor clevis12 enters between the faces of the sheave block 10, further hauling raises the sheave 11 therein and thereby effects unlatching of the boom so that the boom may be rotated counterclockwise as indicated in FIG. 2, to the position shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 occupied by the broom when the anchor is stowed.

The boom 6 and the wishbone arms 16 are pivoted for independent rotations about a common axis 20, the wishbone arms being affixed to a shaft 22 (FIGS. 3 and 8) which rotates on that axis and the boom having trunnions as indicated at 24 in FIG. 3 which are journaled on that shaft. The shaft 22 in turn is borne in bearings, which may be of simple type as indicated at 26 in FIG. 3, these bearings 26 being formed in the side plates 28 of a channel member generally indicated at 30 which is afi'ixed to the deck of the vessel.

The shaft 22 which rotates with the wishbone arms 16 has two gear sectors 32 aflixed thereto, one on either side outboard ofthe trunnions 24. One of these gear sectors is seen in FIG. 9. They mesh respectively with similar gear sectors 34 attached to and forming functionally part of a unitary counterweight lever 36 (FIGS. 3, 9 and 11) which is pivoted at 38 for rotation about an axis 38 (FIG. 2) parallel to the axis 20 of rotation of the boom and wishbone arms.

To this end the counterweight lever 36 has afiixed thereto trunnions 40 as indicated in FIG. 3, and these trunnions rest in bearings 42 formed in the side plates 28 of the channel member 30.

As indicated in FIGS. 3 and 11 the counterweight lever 36 is notched or apertured at 44. This notch accommodates a latch 46 which forms part of or is attached to a sliding latch bar 48 which is arranged for fore and aft motion beneath the counterweight lever. See FIGS. 9 and 11. Tunnel pieces 49, fragmentarily seen in FIG. 9,

The

restrict the latch member to reciprocating motion parallel to its own length.

In its after position the latch 46 engages a bridge piece 50 forming. part of the counterweight lever 36, preventing clockwise rotation of the counterweight lever from the position shown therefor in FIGS. 3 and 9. As used herein the terms clockwise and counterclockwise refer to the views in the drawings, wherein an anchor hoist according to the invention is mounted in the bow of a vessel, the views'of each of FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 10 to l2-be ing all from the starboard side of the vessel. Of course, the anchor hoist may be mounted elsewhere than in the bow, and wherever mounted it may be viewed from either side. The terms clockwise and counterclockwise are therefore used only for convenience of description, and do not in any manner limit the scope of the invention. The same is true of the terms fore and aft, forward and after. a

The latch bar 48 is shifted from aft to fore position by i a pawl 52 pivoted in a stub lever 56 forming part of the boom 6 for rotation about an axis 54 (FIG. 5) eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the boom 6.

With the boom in its outboard position of rest as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 7 (which the boom occupies when the vessel rides at anchor), pawl 52 rests on the forward end of latch bar 48 and is dimensioned to engage an upstanding extension 51 of the latch bar when boom 6 is rotated counterclockwise in the stowage operation from the anchor-cast position of FIG. 2 toward the angular position shown for the boom in dotted lines in FIG. 2. When the boom reaches the angular'position shown in FIG. 9, the latch bar has been moved from the position shown in that figure by the dashed line showings of spur 51 and latch 46 to the position indicated by the full line show.- ing of these elements, in which counterweight lever 36 is freed from latch 46. The mast comprising wishbone arms 16 and lever 36 are now free to rotate in opposite directions, mast 16 counterclockwise and lever 36 clockwise. Such rotationoccurs as the process of anchor stowage continues.

Latch 46 is restored to its after position by engagement with a spur 60 on boom 6. When the boom 6 is rotated towards its fully counterclockwise stowed position, spur 60 engages the upper surface of latch 46 as indicated in FIG. 12, and shifts latch bar 48 to the after position therefor, illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 9 and in full lines in FIG. 12, in which the counterweight lever 36 is prevented from rising clockwise. In positions for the boom 6 counterclockwise of the vertical, the pawl 52 is completely disengaged from the extension 51 of the latch bar 48 and hence presents no obstruction to a rearward shift of the latch under influence of spur 60.

The gear sectors 32 which are pinned to shaft 22 and which hence rotate with wishbone arms 16 include each a foot-like extension 62 which is dimensioned to bring up against the sole plate 31 of channel when the wishbone arms are rotated clockwise as far as the position therefore shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 9 and 12. The extensions 62 thus prevent clockwise rotation of arms 16 beyond that angular position. 'Whilethe gear sectors 32 and 34 also limit clockwise rotation of the mast 16 past the position therefor which lays lever 36 flat in channel 30, as shown in FIG. 9, the feet 62 are provided to bear this stress in place of the trunnions of lever 36.

The boom 6 is provided with a .movable latch 66 (FIGS. 5 and 7) which in its after position engages a latch or bridge piece 68 fixed with reference to the channel 30, so that with such engagement the boom is prevented from rotating counterclockwise. When the boom 6 has rotated clockwise to the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, which is thesame angular position as that. shown in FIG. 2, the boom is cradled in suitably shaped surfaces 33 at the front of the channel 30, as indicated in FIG. 6. This is the position in which. the boom 6 bears the stress of the anchor line when the vessel is at anchor.

' ing the anchor.

Sheave I1 is borne between the cheeks 18 of the sheave block It) whereas the levers '76 may be outside of those checks as indicated for example in FIGS. 2 and 4, and the cheeks are arcuately slotted as indicated at 80 to permit rotation of levers 76. With the boom in the position of FIG. 2, the sheave 11 occupies with respect to the axis of rotation of shaft 74 the angular position shown therefor in FIGS. 2 and 5 except when the clevis 12 on the anchor rotates shaft 74 counterclockwise to the position shown in FIG. 7. With this rotation of shaft 74 the link 7th is drawn forward, disengaging latch 66 from bridge piece 68 so as to free the boom 6 for counterclockwise rotation.

The operation of hoisting the anchor may now be described. With the anchor on the bottom, mast I6 occupies the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Lever 36 is flat in channel 30, latched by latch 46 against clockwise rotation by the action of the boom when it was last in the stowed position of FIG. 12. Mast I6 is accordingly in the position shown therefor in FIGS. 1, 2, 9 and 12. The boom 6 is outboard, latched at latch 66 as indicated in FIG. 5.

Cable is now taken in until the clevis 12 passes between the cheeks of the block 10 and until moreover the sheave 11 is lifted from the position of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 7, unlatching the boom. With further taking in of the anchor line or cable, the boom 6 is rotated counterclockwise to the position shown therefor in FIG.

- '9. While the anchor may come to bear against the stem 23 of the vessel, it is held by engagement of clevis 12 in block 16 against oscillations athwartships, with respect to the vessel, and is thus prevented from damaging the vessel or paintwork thereon.

When the boom reaches approximately the position shown in FIG. 9, the lever 36 is freed from latch 46. As the boom rotates counterclockwise past the position of FIG. 9, the tension on. the anchor line beyond the sheave 14 at the junction of the wishbone arms, i.e. at the top of themast which they form, becomes nearly parallel to the length of the boom, and the net effect of the tension in the anchor line abaft the sheave 14 is to impose a counterclockwise torque on .the mast 16. The mast I6 accordingly rotates counterclockwise, taking the boom 6 with it, while the lever 36 rotates clockwise by action of the meshing gear sectors 32 and34.

Thus, from the positions of the boom, mast and counterweight lever shown in FIG. 9, these parts move to the positions shown therefor in dashed lines in FIG. 10. The lever 36 rises toward the mast, but the clockwise rotation of' the lever and the counterclockwise rotation of the mast may be. limited, for example by shaping of the gear sectors 32 and'34, to the positions shown therefor in FIGS. 10 and 11. At this point the cable is allowed to go slack, and the boom continues its rotation, falling through the plane of the wishbone arms,

due to its momentum and to the force of gravity which now operates on both boom and anchor. When the boom and counterweight collide, as illustrated in FIG. 11,

the latter is reversed from clockwise to counterclockwise and simultaneously restores engagement between the latch 46 and the lever 36.

As above indicated, the spacing of the cheeks 18 of the block is made advantageously such as to accommodate the clevis 12 of the anchor shank only in that position which disposes the anchor flukes athwartships. The anchor will then descend as illustrated in FIG. 11 to the fully stowed position shown in FIG. 12 in which the transverse bar 86 to which the flukes are aflixed engages snugly just forward of the wishbone arms 16. In this position moreover the lower end of the clevis 12, which as indicated in FIG. 2 is advantageously rounded, is engaged forward of protuberances 88 which are formed on the inner surface of each of the cheeks of the block' 10. In this fashion undesired motion of the anchor is' prevented. The protuberances, 88 are advantageously made of arcuate shape, concave toward the sheave 11 as indicated in FIG. 7, to match with a convexly rounded lower end on the clevis 12, these parts interfitting when the anchor is in stowed position as seen in FIG. 12.

The anchor is cast from the position therefor, and for the hoist of the invention, shown in FIG. 12. In this operation hauling on the cable effects clockwise rotation of the boom 6, carrying the anchor with it, the wishbone arms and counterweight lever 36 remaining stationary. It will be remembered that in the preceding stowage of the anchor the counterclockwise rotation of the boom just prior to reaching the home position therefor shown in FIG. 12 effected latching of the counterweight lever, and hence of the wishbone arms, by engagement of bridge piece 50 with the latch member 46. It will be understood that by virtue of the spacing of the axes of rotation and 38 of the boom and counterweight lever, the spur 82 on the counterweight lever moves away from the spur 60 on the boom so that, as the system approaches the home position of FIG. 12, the spur 82 lies aft of the spur 60 so that the latter can engage the latch 46 and shift the lever 36 aft into the position in which motion of the counterweight is prevented.

To return to the description of the process of casting anchor, hauling on the cable rotates the boom 6, and the anchor with it, in clockwise direction from the position of these elements shown in FIG. 12, until the boom is parallel to the position of the arms 16 shown in FIG. 12. At this position the cable is slackened, and the combined effects of gravity and momentum carry the boom and anchor to the position of FIGS. 1 and 2, from which it may fall to the bottom. The protuberances 88 support the anchor at the clevis 12, e.g. as indicated in FIG. 9, until the anchor is outboard of the vessel, whence with further clockwise rotation of the boom to a position between the horizontal and that shown in FIG. 9 the clevis 12 slips off the protuberances 88, allowing the anchor to descend.

A stop 90 shown in FIG. 7 is affixed to the lower surface of the boom, as seen in that figure, just forward of the extension 51 on the lever 36, to prevent advance of the lever 36 when the boom is down.

The block 10 includes a second sheave 92 over which the cable passes as indicated in FIG. 12. This sheave 92 together with the protuberances 88 defines a space within the clevis 12 of the anchor is held when the anchor is in stowed position;

While the lever 36 has herein been referred to as counterweight lever, it need not function as a counterweight nor possess any particular mass of its own. The weight of the boom and anchor may be sufficient to carry the system from the position indicated therefor in FIG. 11 to the fully stowed position illustrated in FIG. 12.

It will be understood that in the process of raising the anchor the boom is first brought, by hauling on the line,

into substantial alignment with the mast while the latter is in the position shown therefor in FIG. 2. At this point the lever 36 is released, and the boom, anchor and mast rotate counterclockwise together until the mast reaches the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 10 and in full lines in FIG. 11. The boom and anchor are then to past the vertical, inclined toward the inboard position thereof shown in FIG. 12. Slackening of the cable then allows the boom and anchor to rotate past the mast 16, under the combined effects of gravity and momentum, to the position of FIG. l2, notwithstanding the effort required of them to restore the lever 36 and mast 16 from the posi tion of those latter two elements shown in FIG. 11 to the position therefor shown in FIG. 12.

If desired however, the lever 6 may be made of substantial weight, or a supplementary weight 94 may be coupled thereto, as indicated in FIG. 11, in order to assist in bringing the anchor and hoist into the fully stowed position of FIG. 12.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the invention provide an anchor hoist comprising a boom 6 pivotally mounted in channel 30 for rotation in a substantially vertical plane between substantially horizontal inboard and outboard positions shown for the boom in FIGS. 2 and 12 respectively, the inboard position being a stowed position for the boom. The hoist further comprises a sheave 11 mounted at the free end of the boom for motion between upper and lower positions of the sheave shown in FIGS. 7 and 5, and a mast 16 mounted coaxially with the boom for limited rotation substantially parallel to the rotation of the boom between an inclined outboard hoisting position shown for the mast in FIG. 2 and an inclined inboard stowing position shown for the mast in FIG. 11. A sheave 14 may be provided at the free end of the mast. The hoist further comprises a lever 36 coupled to the mast, preferably by gearing 32 and 34, for rotation between a stowed or rest position for the lever (FIGS. 2, 9 and 12) substantially parallel to the boom in inboard position and an inclined inboard buffer position for the lever (FIG. 11). The lever is mounted beneath the inboard position of the boom and it is coupled to the mast so that the mast and lever rotate in opposite senses. Separate means are provided, in the shaping of the gears and in the feet 62, which limit the coupled rotation of the lever and mast between the stowed and hoisting positions of the lever and mast respectively (FIG. 12) on the one hand, and the buffer and stowing positions of the lever and mast respectively (FIG. 11) on the other hand. Latch means including the latch 46 and latch bar 48 are provided to hold the lever 36 in stowed position, and'means comprising the pawl 52 are provided to disengage these latch means, the pawl eifecting such disengagement in response to rotation of the boom from the outboard position of FIG. 2 to a position of substantial alignment with the mast when the latter is in hoisting position, as illustrated in FIG. 9. In addition, the spur 60 on the boom constitutes means to engage the latch 46 so that the latter may hold the lever 36 in the rest position of FIG. 12, spur 60 being effective to this end in response to rotation of the boom from the position thereof in FIG. 9 to the position of the boom in FIG. 12. Additionally, the hoist may include the interengaging latch members 66 and 68 to hold the boom in outboard position, and means in the form of the movable mounting of sheave 11 by means of levers 72 and 76 effective to disengage the latching members 66 and 68 in response to motion of the sheave 11 to the upper position shown therefor in FIG. 7, the sheave 11 being so lifted by the anchor at the beginning of the anchor-stowing process. 1

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the in vention is not limited thereto and that numerous variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An anchor hoist comprising a boom pivotally mounted for rotation between inboard and outboard positions, a mast mounted coaxially with said boom for roopposite sense between a stowed position and a buffer 7 position, said boom restoring said lever from butter to stowed position upon rotation of said boom from outboard to inboard position, movable latch-means to hold said lever in stowed position, means responsive to motion of said boom from outboard position to a position of substantial alignment with said mast in hoisting position to disengage said latch means, and means responsive to motion of said'boom into inboard po-sitionto shift said lever into stowed position and to engage said latch means.

2. An anchor hoist comprising a boom pivotally mounted for rotation between inboard and outboard positions, a mast mounted coaXially with said boom for rotation between an inclined outboard hoisting position and an inclined inboard stowing position, a lever coupled to said mast for rotation therewith in the opposite sense between a stowed position and a buiier position, said boom restoring said lever from buffer to stowed position upon rotation of said boom from outboard to inboard position, movable latch means to hold said lever in stowed position, means responsive to motion of saidboom from outboard position to a position of substantial alignment with said mast in hoisting position to disengage said latch means, and means responsive to motion of said boom into inboard position to shift said lever into stowed position and to engage said latchmeans.

,3. An anchor hoist comprising a boom pivotally mounted for rotation in a substantially vertical plane between substantially horizontal inboard and outboard positions, a mast mounted coaxially with said boom for rotation parallel to said boom between an inclined outboard hoisting position and an inclined inboard stowing position, a lever pivotally mounted beneath the inboard position of said boom for rotation, in the plane of said boom and about an axis displaced from the axis of rotation of said boom, between a stowed position substantially parallel to said boom in inboard position and an inclined inboard buffer position, gearing coupling saidrlever to said mast for rotation of said mast and lever in opposite senses, separate means limiting the coupled rotations of said lever and mast between the stowed and hoisting positions of said lever and mast respectively on the one hand and the buffer and stowing positions of said lever and mast respectively on the other hand, latch means to hold said lever in stowed position, means to disengage said latch means responsive to rotation of said boom from outboard position to a position of substantial alignment with said mast, and means to engage said latch means responsive to rotation of said boom from said position of alignment to inboard position.

4. An anchor hoist comprising a boom pivotally mounted for rotation in a substantially vertical plane between substantially horizontal inboard and outboard positions, a mast mounted coaxially with said boom for rotation parallel to said boom between an inclined outboard hoisting position and an inclined inboard stowing position, a lever pivotally mounted beneath the inboard position of said boom for'rotation, in the plane of said boom andiabout an axis displaced from the axis of rotatin of said boom, between a stowed position substantially parallel to said boom ininboard position and an inclined inboard butler position, gearing coupling said lever to said mast for rotation of said mastiand lever in opposite senses, separate means limiting the coupled rotation of said lever and mast between the stowed and hoisting positions of said lever and mast respectively on the one hand and the buffer and stowing positions of said lever and mast respectively on the other hand, first latch means to hold said lever in stowed position, means to disengage said latch means responsive to rotation of said boom from outboard position to a position of substantial alignment with said mast, means to engage said latch means responsive to rotation of said boom from said position of alignment to inboard position, second latch means to hold said boom in outboard position, and means responsive to the raising of an anchor into engagement with the free end of said boom to disengage said second latch means.

5. An anchor hoist comprising a boom pivotally mounted for rotationin a substantially vertical plane between substantially horizontal inboard and outboard positions, a sheave mounted at the free end of said boom for motion between upper and lower positions, a mast mounted coaXially with said boom for rotation parallel to said boom between an inclined outboard hoisting position and an inclined inboard stowing position, a sheave at the free end of said mast, a lever pivotally mounted beneath the inboard position of said boom for rotation,

in the plane of said boom and about an axis displaced from the axis of rotation of said boom, between a stowed position substantially parallel to said boom in inboard position and an inclined inboard buffer position, gearing coupling said lever to said mast for rotation of said mast and lever in opposite senses, separate means limiting the coupled rotation of said lever and mast between the stowed and hoisting positions of said lever and mast respectively on the one hand and the'buffer and stowing positions of said lever and mast respectively on the other hand, first latch means'to hold said lever in stowed position, means to disengage said latch means responsive to rotation of said boom from outboard position to a position of substantial alignment with said mast, means to engage said latch means responsive to rotation of said boom from said position of alignment to inboard position, second latch means to hold said boom in outboard position, and means to disengage said second latch means responsive to motion of said boom sheave to upper position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,636,944 77/27 Schauman 114210 2,844,119 7/58 Dugan 1l4-2l0 2,940,412 6/60 Whitney 114-210 FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ANCHOR HOIST COMPRISING A BOOM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION BETWEEN INBOARD AND OUTBOARD POSITIONS, A MAST MOUNTED COAXIALLY WITH SAID BOOM FOR ROTATION BETWEEN A HOISTING POSITION AND A STOWING POSITION, A LEVER COUPLED TO SAID MAST FOR ROTATION THEREWITH IN THE OPPOSITE SENSE BETWEEN A STOWED POSITION AND A BUFFER POSITION, SAID BOOM RESTORING SAID LEVER FROM BUFFER TO STOWED POSITION UPON ROTATION OF SAID BOOM FROM OUTBOARD TO INBOARD POSITION, MOVABLE LATCH MEANS TO HOLD SAID LEVER IN STOWED POSITION, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOTION OF SAID BOOM FROM OUTBOARD POSITION TO A POSITION OF SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID MAST IN HOISTING POSITION TO DISENGAGE SAID LATCH MEANS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOTION OF SAID BOOM INTO INBOARD POSITION TO SHIFT SAID LEVER INTO STOWED POSITION AND TO ENGAGE SAID LATCH MEANS. 